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(No Model.) ssheets-sheet 1. W. H. CONVER 8a G. M. SHEFFER.

RUTARY ENGINE.

No. 330,001. Patented Nov. l0, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 W. H. CONVER 8u G. M. SHEPFER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 330,001. atented Nov. 10, 1885.

William yan1/67, veozgeJbS/afer #y N. PETERS, Pnuuruxmgnpw. wnnmgmn. D.C.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. CONVER AND GEORGE M. SHEFFER, OF EMLENTON, PA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,001, dated November10, 1885.

Application filed October 2, 1884. Serial No. 144,570. (No model.)

.riphery.

It is the purpose of our invent-ion to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of this class of engines by providing thecylinder with cap-plates having connected therewith adjustablepacking-plates to compensate wear; to provide means whereby the pistonsshall be projected from the pistoncasing by steam-pressure, and in theabsence thereof shall be supported against their own gravity; to soconnect the shaft of the drivingpulley with the piston-shaft that wearupon the former or upon its bearings shall not defleet the latter anddisturb the correct relations of the piston-casing to the cylinder; toso construct the wings of the pistons and combine them with the slidingrods by which they are carried that their wear upon the cap-plates ofthe cylinder shall be automatically cornpensated; to effect asimple andeasily-adj usted connection between the steam-pipe and the shaftcarrying the piston-case, and to provide the cylinder with a rotaryvalve so constructed that the engine in all cases exhausts through saidvalve, while the live steam passes around the'same to the steam-port.

. To these ends our invention consists in the ,several novel features ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth,

and definitely pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 isa perspective view `of the entire mechanism. Fig. 2 is a section sectionof the cylinder, the mechanism being removed. Fig. 5 is an elevation ofthe inner face of one of the packing-plates. Fig. 6 is a perspective ofthe piston-casing. Fig. 7 is a perspective View ofthe valve. Fig. 8 is adetail perspective showing a modified construction of the pistons andtheir Wings. Fig. 9 is a partial elevation of the cylinder and of thebelt -pulley with the parts connecting the separate shafts. Fig. 10 is adetail elevation of one of the crank-arms shown in Fig. 9.

In thesaid drawings, thereference-numeral 1 denotes the cylinder, havingupon each end flanges 2. Upon the lower side the cylinder is providedwith a depending portion, 4, within which is formed the valve-chamber 5.Leading from this chamber to the interior of the cylinder aresteam-ports 6 and 7, of which the latter is the exhaust. These portscommunicate with lthe interior of the cylinder or piston-chamber bymeans of elongated openings 6 and 7, said openings being formedcentrally in the inner wall of said cylinder and extending from abridge, 9, formed centrally above the valve-chamber, to opposite pointsa little below a line drawn horizontally through the center of thepiston-casing, at which point is formed a transverse slot, 8,communicating with each opening and the port to which it belongs.

A cylindrical piston-casing, 10, is eccentrically mounted within thecylinder 1 in such manner as to have bearing upon the bridge 9. Thiscasing is supported by a shaft, l1, having bearing in cap-plates 12,which close the open ends of the cylinder, and within said casing isformed a central diametrical opening, 13', which receives the pistons14. Across the outer end of each opening is cut a radial slot, 13, toreceive the lateral wings 14a, formed upon the ends of the pistons. Asteam-joint is formed between each of the pistons and the casing withinwhich they are mounted by a packing-ring, 15, formed of suitable metal,mounted upon the piston aud bearing against the face of the recesswithin which it slides. The cap-plates 12 are secured to the cylinder bymeans of bolts 16, passing through them and tapped into the flanges 2.Interposed be- -with the cylinder-wall.

tween the inner ends of the pistons 4 is a spring, 17, by whichsaidpistons arenormally thrown out toward the cylinder, the tension of saidspring being sufficient to overcome the gravity of either piston, andretain such a space between their inner ends as to preserve thev contactbetween their .wingsand thejcylinder at all times. The space 18,occupied by this spring, forms a steam-chamber, which is supplied withlive steam by a pipe, 19, andan axial opening, 20, formed in the shaft11, the

former communicating with the steam-pipe 2l. Thetensionof thesteamenteringthrough said passage drives the pistons .outward with sufficientforce to form a steam-joint between the Wings 14L and the cylinder.VWhen the steam is cut off, the spring 17 still retainsthese parts inContact, and thereby prevents injury to the cylinder when the steam isshut off by the pistons dropping into the casing and being suddenlythrown out against the cylinder-wall by the final rotation ofthecylinderwall.

Upon each of its vertical faces the pistoncasing has bearing upon apacking-plate, 22, which is constructed and adj usted in the mannerfollowing: The said reference-numeral 22 denotes a metallic disk havinga diameter substantially equal to the interior diameter of the cylinder,and provided with openings to receive the shaft 11. This disk isprovided with a peripheral groove in which is placed a packing-ring, 23,which forms a steam-joint l This packing-plate is slipped upon the shaft11, inside the capplate, and a central screw,24, is tapped through 'thelatter, having its end resting against thel packing-plate. By turning upthis screw the plate may be adjusted to have bearing upon the end of thepiston-casing, and when so placed holding-screws 25, which are tappedthrough the cap-plates, are turned up into engagement with the outerface of each packing-plate, their ends resting in depressions orrecesses formed in the latter. In this manner not only are thepackingplates easily and accurately adjusted, but they are held fromrotating with the shaft and piston-casing, forming a steam-joint for thelateral faces of the piston-casing and the wings of the piston,l whereinall wear of the parts maybe compensated. The periphery of thepiston-casing projects beyond the lateral faces of the same, formingannularfianges 26,which are received by corresponding annular grooves inthe faces of the packing-plates 22.

Within the valve-chamber is placed a rotary valve, 27, which is composedof a central chambered body, 28, substantially elliptical incross-section, supported by circular heads 29, which are eccentric tothe axis of the body portion, raising the latter into contact with theupper part of the valve-chamber 5. A longitudinal slot, 30, formsacommunication between the chamber in the body 28 and the part which isused for the exhaust.

The supporting-heads ofthe valve ,being ec-l centric to the b ody part,a passage is formed for the live steam between the latter and thewallol' the valve-chamber, as shown in Fig. 7C

2. The engine therefore exhausts through thel valve andtakes steam whichpasses around it. The slot 30 in the valve for the exhaust is of suchbreadth that by rotating the valve the exhaust may be cut off by thebridge 9, which 7 5 closes the said slot. At the same time the ports 6and 7 are closed by those portionsv of the valve-body lying upon eachside of the slot and having bearing upon the wall of the cylindricalvalve-chamber. 8o

The valve is provided with a stem, 31,which projects through the endwall or cap of .the valve-chamber and receives va packing-ring, 3 2,having a iiange, 33, interiorly threaded andscrewed upon a boss34,Vprojecting from the end wall or cap, 35, a suitable packingring beinginterposed between them. Packing-rings 36 are set in eachsupporting-head 29, and have bearing upon the wall of the valve-chamber.A reversing-lever, 37, is

kmounted upon the valve-stem. Steam is.

brought through the pipe 38 and enters the lower part of thevalve-chamber, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The wingsupon the pistons may be integral 9 5 with the latter; but wepropose also to form each separately. In such construction the wing lismade in two parts, 39 39, united bya lapjoint and set in a slot, 40, inthe end ofthe piston. f In each part of the divided wing .1S formed aslot, 4l, which receives a bolt, 42, passing through the end of thepiston, and the construction is such that when adjusted in place asteam-space, 43, is left between the united sections of the wing. Thisspace admits a sufficient body of live steam to draw` the'wing-sections39 39u outward, and produces by its pressure a steam -joint between the.wing and the cylinder.

As is usual in all engines of thisclass, the shaft 11 carries abelt-pulley, 44. The powershaft may have separate support upon each sideof the pulley, if desired; but itis well known that the bearings wearrapidly away under the heavydraft frequently brought upon the belt. Thiscauses a certain amount ofdeviation of the shaft 11, throwing theopposite faces ofthe piston-casing out of a true parallelism with thepacking-plates, and causing an unequal wear of the latter, which soonincapacitates the parts for use. To remedy this defect,we employ thelconstruction illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein the pulley is carried by aseparate shaft, lli-mounted in independent .bearings and connected withthe power-shaft .by acrank, 45, having a crank-pin, 46, which journalsin a box, 47, having movement in a slotted arm, 48, carried by thepower-shaft. As the bearings of the latter wear down, the correspondingdisplacement of the crank-arm 45 will be permitted by the movable box 47without in the least disturbing the relations be- IOO IIO

ltween the power-shaft and the pulley-shaft.

In this manner the `drag of the belt is wholly removed from thepower-shaft, the wear of the journal-bearings is equalized, and the4durability ofthe engine is very greatly increased.

The operation of the parts thus far described is as follows: Thevalvebeing adjusted as shown in Fig. 2, and the throttle being opened, steamtlowsin through the port 6 and initiates the rotation of thepiston-casing and its shaft, the pistons sliding in the former in themanner usual in engines of this class. It will be seen that thearrangement of the parts is such that as the piston-wing 14:L approachesthe transverse slot 8 the pressure is equally balanced upon both sidesby the admission of steam throughout the opening 6". The wing passes theslot 8 just before the opposite wing reaches the exhaust-port 7, andfrom that point takes steam upon its rear face only. Oiling-cups 49 areapplied to the cap-plates 12, and by a pipe, 50, oil is supplied to theeapplates 12, and to the vertical faces of the piston-casing andpacking-plates. A cup, 51, is mounted upon the cylinder to supply theperipheral surface of the piston-case, and the shaft-bearings may beoiled by any devices suitable for the purpose.

It will be seen that by throwing steam behind the inner ends of thepistons 14 the pressure upon their outer ends is overbalanced just farenough to produce a practically steamtight contact with the cylinder. Inthe construction illustrated in Fig. 8, however, a comparatively smallsteam -space is all that is required, since there is no counteractingpressure to overcome.

The engine may be conveniently supported upon legs 52, bolted to thecylinder, as shown in Fig. 1.

rIhe connection between the steam-pipe 19 and the power-sliaft 11 isvformed in the manner following: Into the end of the shaft is tapped ashort section of pipe, 53, upon which is placed a collar, 53, having amale thread upon its periphery, and a flange, 54. Upon the end of thepipe 53 is a ilange, 55, which enters the enlarged end of the elbow 56.Between this iange and the collar 53 is placed a suitable packingring,57, and a female thread is formed in the end of the elbow to receive theeXteriorly-threaded collar 53. By turning up the latter against thepacking-ring 57 a tight joint is produced, while at the same time theshaft and the pipe 53 are at liberty to revolve. J am-nuts 25 are turnedupon the threaded ends of the bolts 25 to secure the latter at any pointto which they are ad'- justed.

IVe may use in place of steam either air, gas, or water; but inemploying the latter it is desirable to widen the opening which connectsthe outlet-port with the cylinder, leaving only a sufficient bearing forthe wings of the pistons. In other respects no substantial chaiige isrequired, and the alteration mentioned is only necessary1 when water isused in order to obtain the higher speeds.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is* 1. In a rotaryengine, the combination, with the piston-casing having continuousperipheral flanges, of packing-plates adjustable upon the power-shaftand having annular grooves which receive said iianges, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the piston-casing, ofpistons arranged to slide therein, a spring separating the inner ends ofsaid pistons, and a hollow shaft carrying said piston casing andcommunicating with the steam-supply and with the chamber containing saidspring, substantially as desoribed.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the piston casing and thepistons sliding therein, of wings mounted upon each piston and composedof two sections, steam-spaces being left between the sections by whichthey are driven laterally outward at right angles to the slidingpistons, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the power-shaft, of aseparate pulley-shaft, the two being connected by a crank-arm upon onecarrying a pin which journals in a box sliding in a crank-arm upon theother, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the cylinder having steamand exhaust ports, each communicating with said cylinder by an elongatedslot formed centrally in the wall thereof and having'a transverse slotat the upper extremity, of thepiston-casing and sliding pistons havingwings, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the cylinder havi ing steam and exhaust ports6and 7, separated by a bridge, 9, of the valve composed of the chamberedbody 28, having a slot, 30, and the circular eccentric heads 29,substantially as described.

7. The combinatiomwith the pistons 14,having slotted ends, of wingsconstructed in two separable sections, 39 and 39, having slots 41 andsteam-spaces 43, and the bolt 42 passing through the slotted end of thepiston, substantially as described.

I OO

IIO

8. The coinbination,with the power-shaft 11,

having a slotted crank-arm, 48, and ajournalbox, 47, mounted therein,of-a separate pulleyshaft having a crank-arm, 45, and a pin, 46,journaling in the box 47 substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the packing-plates 22, having annular groovesformed in their inner faces, of the piston-casing 13, having peripheralflanges 26, and the cap-plates having adj usting-screws 24 andholding-screws 25, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the rotary valve having the body 28 and theslot 30, of the ec- In testimony whereof We afx our signatures Io inpresence of two Witnesses.

W. H; CONVER. GEORGE M. SHEFFER.'

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NoRRIs, Jos. L. COOMBs.

